Out of Time - A Darklina Fanfic

by destiniesfic

Alina Starkov expected to wake up on a ship sailing across the True Sea, one that would take her far from Ravka, far from the Darkling and his mad crusade. Instead, she awoke in Os Alta to a devastating truth: the war was won nearly a century ago, her first love was dead, and she remembered nothing.

Not even that, as part of her surrender, she agreed to a political marriage.

Genres: Fan Fiction

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ Aylin (monster lover) ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fan-fiction was genuinely remarkable. It can't be denied that the original books are one of my greatest weaknesses, but Leigh Bardugo's fans have proven to be no less gifted when it comes to creativity and talent. I'm impressed⎯

Even if you aren't a darklina supporter, consider giving this twenty-five-ish chapters long masterpiece a chance. The author gives us a wonderful spin on Alina's character, heartwarming trans representation, Nikolai's witty sense of humor and an interesting alternative universe, where almost a century ago Ravka unfortunately fell under Darkling's hostile reign.

“Like calls to like. The loneliness in you calls to the loneliness in me. That’s what truly binds us.”
“Anyone can be lonely,” I muttered. “It doesn’t make you special.”

[shreya · Rating 5 out of 5]

destiniesfic fr saved my soul with this fic ahhhh I've read it so many times and it still remains the best darklina fics I've read. LOVE ITT

[tish · Rating 5 out of 5]

destiniesfic did what they had to for the darklina nation. loved it so much.

[Sara Bachkhaznadji · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what every darkling fan (those who believe he can become better, that he can change, that his terrible past has corrupted the young boy he used be, and that he can somehow find his way to redemption) and every darklina shipper dream about!!
Hands down the best fanfic I've ever read.. The author's writing was absolutely beautiful and just amazing! I did absolutely not feel like I was reading a fanfiction but actually reading a book.
The writing style, the slow burn, the ennemies to lovers, the way everything ties up together.. It just was very well written tbh!
All I can say is that this was fire!!!

[Voicu Natașa · Rating 4 out of 5]

despise every time they shared a bed, this fic is so good even a malina stanner would appreciate it, only because alina's feelings stay so true to the original : attracted to the darkling yet guilty about it. this is kinda everything she does, in a book it would have been disappointing but it's a fic, so kudos to it for not changing the build of the characters.

reading it feels seriously like a sequel to shadow & bone, which is both good and bad, depending of how you enjoyed the trilogy. for me i wished the writing slipped off more from what we find in the books.

long story short, an alternative universe which has a much better story than the original one.

[jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

“havent i been a good penitent? let me look at you” line i will forever love you

[bela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goooood!

[rose — omigod, can u let me do what i need to do? · Rating 3 out of 5]

this fic is written with such quality that it astounds me. this is quality i expect from an actual, published book, and probably the most well-written fanfiction i've ever read in the most technical sense of the word. i adore the characterization of the darkling SO much. it's incredibly welcome in a sea of weird perverted daddy dom aleksander or way too simpy aleksander

the plot, though, was... fine. it was nothing crazy and nothing special. it certainly wasn't life-changing, and i couldn't help but just feel horrible for the original alina throughout. i literally had to skip over the sex scenes because it just felt wrong LOL. i really would've liked to see some more angsty scenes of aleksander being sad over the fact that he's lowkey kind of forever lost his wife and 100 years together.

i don't really know what to say? it was certainly an engaging read but nothing stood out to me. it's just a story about alina losing her memories and falling in love with the darkling, with a small rebellion sideplot added on. that's literally all it is. it delivers on the premise and is, of course, 100000x better than the shitty trilogy, but is by no means a groundbreaking story.

i think i would've preferred a full prequel over this kind of story, tbh. i'm much more interested in seeing how darklina's relationship changes over their 100 years together than aleksander being gifted a young, spunky, snarky wife after all his fuck-ups. it's really sad that i can't love this story even though i desperately want to because the way the author perfectly characterizes darklina is tew good

this is not a story i'd ever reread because there's just nothing truly amazing about it. and as i hunt for more and more good darklina fanfic, this one makes me despair because i feel the premise is a waste of the author's talent. if she'd written about darklina's 100 years together, i know without a shadow of doubt that it'd be one of my favorite darklina fics of all time, simply because she's that talented. but this story is a bit of a nothingburger :(

[Tchullullu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really good fanfic. I liked how it fits so well with the canon, and how the characters feel very much the same. Somehow it feels very melancholic, but also realistic, and it made me super curious about how the world would be if this version of the story had happened. It also talks a bit about propaganda, manipulation and politic control, which I liked. The ending was kinda open, and I liked and disliked it at the same time - I kinda expected more of a defined ending, but I have to admit that this one fits very well with the narrative.

[Fatima:0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i tell you i loved it , I LOVED IT It was such a good fic

[rimz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't thank you enough for this!❤️ This was so beautifully heartbreaking far better than what we got in canon

[Uzaii · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first darklina I actually finished. I wish there was more on the feelings side, but overall very nice and felt true to the original characters.

[melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely a 4.5-star read! This story embodies all the elements of Darklina that I yearn for.

[Adriana:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manos cuidadosas

[alisa (jacks’ version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Yet I understood, because I had been lonely for such a small sliver of time, while his lonely years stretched behind him like a dark, yawning chasm. Because sleeping next to him was better than sleeping alone. Because in that way, I was pathetic too. Who wasn’t? Who wouldn’t choose this over a bleak and empty eternity?”

show!alina could never